Fondly known as Thilak, he lived his life with this maxim close to his heart.
His string of achievements, since age 14 in 1998, included attaining the Black Belt (1st Dan) and winning 11 gold medals, 2 silver medals and 2 bronze medals from several taekwondo tournaments.
The eldest in the family, Thilak was born on 19 December 1984 to Sanda and Ramachandran in Klang and played the role of the responsible and protective brother to sisters Tunisha and Vani.
A loving and dutiful son, he always listened to his father’s advice and would share his secrets and problems with his mother. The apple of his mother’s eye, Thilak put everyone else before him. He taught his sisters the art of self-defense so they knew how to protect themselves in case of emergencies.
As a student of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Dato Hamzah, Thilak was a dedicated student and donned many hats, from school prefect to secretary of the Taekwondo club, vice-president of Photography club and member of the Tamil Society and Interact clubs.
A diligent student, he never missed a single day at school. In 2004, he completed a certificate course in Industry Mechanics as well as the Technician Diploma from WIT College.
An ardent fan of taekwondo, he joined the Dynamic Club in Port Klang, where he met his two best friends, Vidyia Guna Seelan and Mahen Selvarathunam. Both were also taekwondo exponents and the trio competed in tournaments on a regular basis.
Thilak’s passion for taekwondo drove him to total commitment in training. He would fight with his opponents with total concentration while carefully following instructions from his coach, Balakrishnan.
His dedication and focus got him selected to represent Malaysia in the International Championships in Saudi Arabia in 2005. It was the happiest day of his life.
He also participated in the Sukma Games and won almost all his matches. His last competition was the 1st UITM Taekwondo Open Championships in 2006, where he won the gold medal.
"He was my advisor, my motivator and a brother. He would cheer me up when I was down, always there when I needed him with open arms. Now I can feel the silence without him around. I miss him a lot and he will be in my heart forever as my brother," said Vidyia.
His job as a constable for Auxiliary Police in Westport where he joined in 2007 gave him a sense of pride. Thilak was proud to be a policeman and work was always first on his list. He solved many difficult cases and was awarded a certificate of achievement for a job well done.
"He was always committed to his job. It was very important to him that he did his very best, that’s just how Thilak was," said another friend Mahen.
Thilak’s friends would describe him as a gem of a person. Friendly, loyal and helpful, he shared his ambitions with other friends like Mahen and Ravi. His infectious positivity and commitment to his goals were an inspiration to them.
"In times of trouble, he was always there for us. He made sorrows fade away and he made us laugh. He was a wonderful person and we will miss him," said Ravi.
Another ‘friend’ who will miss Thilak is his 7-year-old dog, Rocky.
"Thilak and Rocky understood each other perfectly. When he passed away, it was like Rocky knew that he was no longer with us," said Vidyia, who last saw Thilak at a Deepavali party at his home on November 8.
Thilak passed away on 16 November 2008 after being involved in a motorcycle accident in Port Klang. While his family and friends are still mourning the loss of their beloved son, brother and friend, they feel blessed to have had him in their lives for 23 wonderful years.
"Thilak will be a part of my soul and in my heart forever," said Mahen
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